A few notes before I begin…I blog about ribs fairly regularly and did so in the not-too-distant past, so if this seems redundant…sorry!  Secondly, this post assumes that we’ve reached the point where you have a smoker and are able to hold it at a consistent temperature for a LONG period of time!

OK, that said…once again you’ve got to start with the RIBS!  There are a number of options and while Baby Backs are popular in the Restaurants…the fact is that they have less meat and fat than Spare Ribs and that has a direct impact on their smoking technique.  Also, Beef Ribs are a whole ‘nuther animal and I may cover them in an upcoming post, but today we focus on the Pork Spare Rib!

From your Grocer, or better yet your Butcher you get a ‘Whole Rack’ of Pork Spare Ribs.  This will typically include half of the sternum on which there is some tasty meat and fat…you can have your butcher simply cut through the sternum every 2 ribs and cook the rack whole, OR as with most competition cuts…you can have them prepared (or do it yourself) ‘St. Louis Style’, which means sternum removed and trimmed evenly.  This is done in Competition to provide a uniform presentation and heating while ‘on the smoke’.

OK, so you’ve got your ribs…you’ll notice that on one side is meat and the other side, bones!  Start on the bone side and separate the ‘Silver Skin’ from the ribs.  This is best accomplished by starting in a corner and then pulling at an angle.  The ‘Silver Skin’ is a membrane attached to the bone side of the ribs and it will prevent seasoning from penetrating and make eating them tedious!  HINT: Use a Paper Towel to grab hold and pull because it’s awfully fatty.  You’ll also probably notice some diaphragm muscle tissue…you can trim or leave it…your preference…for competition, trim it!

OK…ready to rub!  We use a pretty liberal portion of our ‘Rib Rub’ along with some neutral oil (Canola) to facilitate even distribution and good penetration into the meat!  You don’t need as much rub on the bone side…obviously.  We also like to let the ribs come to ‘room temp’ before they hit the smokers so they’re nice and relaxed!

Then it’s off to the smoke…we cook UNDER 225ºF….pretty far under to tell the truth!  BUT…it’s a place to start and will yield good results.  You can begin to lower the temps gradually as you dial in the prep!  Using the tried and true (in MY opinion) 3-2-1 method…we cook them for 6 hours.  3 hours unwrapped and not mopped, 2 hours fully wrapped in foil and 1 hour unwrapped with saucing and higher heat taking place during the final 20 minutes.  We’ll add several layers of sauce for those who want them ‘wet’ so that we build a nice crust!

As with ALL protiens…let your ribs rest when they come off the smoke for a while and then serve them up!  MMMmmmmm!  Along with some fried pickles and cornbread….maybe some BBQ Baked Beans!  Ah, I have to go now…need to pick up some ribs!  Hope you enjoy your journey!!!

ALL that said…we call our version ”Beer Can STYLE Chicken” because we don’t actually use BEER…or Beer CANS for that matter!  Instead we use vessels about half full of our own, scratch made chicken stock with fresh torn herbs in it…typically Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Oregano…but whatever’s fresh will do!  Alas…I am putting the CAN before the CHICKEN here!!!

We choose ‘thick’ Chickens for the majority of our smoking…normally about 6-7lb roasters…if you use a smaller chicken, you need to baste (in my opinion) to keep it from drying out entirely during the smoking process!  We separate the skin top and bottom and then hand rub with a bit of Olive Oil and our Chicken Rub.  My ‘Friends and Family’ birds get whole sage leaves under the skin.  Then we give that bird a massage on top of the skin to make sure that all our spices are evenly distributed and down into the meat.  Finally, a light coat of oil or butter on the outside of the bird to get the skin some color and facilitate even heating!

THEN…it’s off to the cooking vessel…same rules as cooking ANY whole chicken apply…tuck the wings and if you must…truss it prior to hitting the ‘can’…but the can itself will help to keep the bird positioned well for cooking…thick breasts on top, thinner legs lower.  Set her on the smoker and then LEAVE it ALONE!!!  Typically our bigger birds cook for 5-6 hours, if you’re using a smaller bird and/or higher temps…obviously that would vary!

Cook to an internal temp deep down in the breast and thigh of about 170ºF and then as with all other protiens…off the heat and allow to rest a bit before serving!  You should notice a nice chestnut color on the skin and smell the fresh herbs which will have spent the last several hours ‘infusing’ into the meat along with your smoke!

If you’re competing…the ‘IN’ cut today is the thigh which is a GREAT piece to cook, but requires LOTS of practice to dial it in just right.  It’s not MY favorite way to smoke chicken (broken down) BUT it’s what the judges like…I’ll post a few more thoughts on ‘Competition Chicken’ in the near future…for now we’ll stick to the dinner table!

Ah…the SMOKE…we typically use a Maple or Cherry with some Hickory when cooking Poultry…but again it’s ALL about personal tastes and whatever YOU like…just start experimenting and find out what works for you!  You’ll enjoy the journey for sure and testing makes LOTS of tasty new friends! – Get out and smoke…don’t be Chicken!!!

OK, so most folks (including US) use primarily ‘Boston Butt’ or ‘Blade Roast’ to do Pulled Pork.  I’ve mentioned before that this is the top half of the front shoulder and it’s a pretty tough cut of meat with a fair amount of fat and LOTS of connective tissue!  When I am cooking for my family and friends…I cook the whole front shoulder which also includes the ‘Picnic Roast’ or lower half of the shoulder.

We ALWAYS cook ‘Bone In’, but you can Google up all kinds of debate on the topic…so instead of suggesting that it’s the ‘best’ method, I’ll just tell you why; Them Bones have FLAVOR!!! (LOTS of it!!!), in addition…they and the tissues that connect the muscle to them will add moisture as they slowly breakdown during the long cooking process.  Finally, they heat up and provide a gentle way of warming the meat from the inside out!

OK, with that all out of the way…you need to get your cooking vessel ready!  Hopefully it’s a BIG smoker and well seasoned, but even if it’s an Old Smokey….as long as you can hold a temp….this is gonna’ be GOOD!  Bring the internal temp up to about 225ºF or lower. (HINT: We cook MUCH lower than that!) It’s a good place to start and then as you learn how to get that meat done just right, you can begin to lower the temps all the way down to 180ºF or 190ºF…it simply increases cooking time and changes a few things about the end product…all part of the learning process!

Before it ‘hits the smoke’, we first use a light coat of oil and then liberally apply whatever Rub we use on that meat…for Pork it’s our ‘House Rub’.  We use the oil for two reasons; it helps to get the rub into all the crevices in the meat and it also facilitates a more even heating of the cut.  Once they are rubbed, we let every cut come up to ‘room temperature’ before they ‘hit the smoke’.  ‘Room Temperature’ to me is whatever the ambient air temperature at your smoker is. (I mean in the warmer months…if it’s 16 degrees outside…let your meat come up to at least 60 degrees or so!)  We do this because we think that it ‘Relaxes’ the meat AND it helps to form a ‘tacky’ outer surface that readily accepts smoke!

Then it’s off to the smoker!  We start them on the ‘Warm Spots’ and then move them to the ‘cooler spots’ in about 2 hours.  As our style is ALL about Eastern North Carolina, we mop every 2 hours with a Vinegar/Shallot/Jalapeno Mop sauce in order to build an INCREDIBLE ‘Bark’ or crust on the outside of the meat…all that flavor gets pulled into the mix in the end!

SO…when IS the end?  Well, we firmly believe in cooking by the Thermometer and NOT the Clock…it yeilds a better result and will give you a much better understanding of how meat cooks!  Here’s a news flash; no two hogs cook exactly alike and no two cuts will be done at exactly the same time!  SO…it’s all about practice and patience…a hallmark of BBQ!

What Temp you ask??? Why that might be TMI (Too Much Info) to ask for, BUT I’ll tell you that they come off the smoker at about 180ºF internally and then they get fully wrapped in foil.  They are covered with blankets and allowed to rest for a bit.  Typically an hour, but again we look for a specific temperature!

After they rest, we put them in a sturdy container that we use specifically for pulling, then we put on some thick, insulated gloves and remove the bones.  DON’T throw those ‘Blade’ bones away…they make a MIGHTY tasty Split Pea Soup or a nice, smokey Pork Stock!!!  Then we use ‘Bear Claws’ to hand pull the pork until it’s done the way we like!  Some folks pull by hand, but I think it can lead to ‘mushy meat’ of not done right…your choice!

As we pull, we sprinkle a bit more of our rub and we drizzle the Vinegar Mop sauce into it very lightly.  Then you can put that on a roll with some Lexington Red Slaw and a spot of our (VERY Vinegary) BBQ Sauce and HOLY COW!!!  That’s What I’m Talkin About!!!  It’s GREAT food that takes time to prepare……your family and friends will smell, see and taste the LOVE!  Good luck on your journey…let me know if I can help!

Alas Grashopper…we’re NOT there YET…you’ve got choices to make about Spice Rubs and Sauces and as ALL seasoned BBQ Pros know…there are a LOT out there!  Path of least resistance for competition and potentially most successful for beginners…use commercially available rubs and sauces that ‘work’ at competition.  I’m not about to name names here as there are MANY great products out there and it’s a fun journey looking for them!  I would suggest a quick Google search to start your Journey!

If you would like the BBQ to be ENTIRELY YOURS…then make your own Rubs and Sauces!  Once again an area for a significant amount of study and one in which there is no shortage of opinion amongst ‘BBQ People’.  SO…I’m staying out of names again, BUT would recommend that you find someone who can provide you with FRESH Spices and only by enough for 3-6 months!  FRESH Spices make a REAL difference!  If you don’t have a great Spice Source locally….check out Spices, Inc. – spicesinc.com they are GREAT folks and Socially Responsible!!!

Learn all you can about Spices and Seasonings and then begin your adventure to making your own sauces or rubs.  It’s a journey that is WELL worth taking and it will make you better at BBQ…I think!

If you’re one of the above…I don’t mean that I dislike YOU personally…but your constant acting like it’s the FIRST time you’ve EVER been to a DONUT SHOP is MIND NUMBING!!!  Better YET…let’s get 2 dozen and delegate EVERY donut to a different member of the family…ALL of whom have APPARENTLY NEVER been in a Donut shop BEFORE!!!  ALL I want is a FRIGGIN’ cup of COFFEE!!!

OR…that desire to stand in front of the milk case and just STARE!!!  As if SOMEHOW they’ve changed the types or quantities of MILK in the Grocery any time in the last 25 years!!!  What is THAT all about??? Just GET YOUR MILK and MOVE ON with your life!!!

OK…that’s it…thanks for reading!  Hope your day’s better than MINE! – Jim

Once you understand your smoker…it’s airflow (or lack thereof), baffling, hot and cool spots and you can hold on to an even temp…the next step has NOTHING to do with tossing some meat on it and going to town! At least NOT in MY Book!!! I am a firm believer in understanding not only the ‘technique’, but the ingredients as well! In this case…PROTIENS!

You should get a book, find a butcher, make a friend on a farm or find a place to learn ALL about the types and cuts of meat that you’ll be using. There are a number of American BBQ ‘Staples’…most notably those in the KCBS Sanctioned Competitions; Chicken, Pork, Beef and Pork Ribs and there is MUCH more!

As an example…our Pulled Pork typically starts with the ‘Whole Shoulder’…in other words the front leg of the hog! It includes the top part of the shoulder which is known intermittently as a ‘Blade Roast’ or ‘Boston Butt’ AND the lower half of the leg to the middle of the first long bone…known as the Picnic Roast and typically featured ‘skin on’ in the Butcher cabinet! – We cook the whole leg with the bone in which (in MY opinion) adds LOTS of flavor and moisture and also helps the cooking process.

Why not use the HAM??? (Rear End) Some folks do! I don’t because it’s typically too thick for the ‘Low & Slow’ cooking process and it tends to dry out on our smokers! SO…that’s just ONE meat option, there are MANY…whatever your fancy…learn as much as you can about THAT cut…where it’s most often cooked and how they do it!

Beef Brisket is another example…they don’t do THAT any better than they do in TEXAS anywhere I’ve ever been…AND they typically keep it pretty simple in Texas…Salt, Pepper and Heat! Some cook it ‘Low & Slow’, others know some trick to cook it over higher heat with great results…a LOT of it’s in the meat!

Learning more about the best cuts of meat for the BBQ Process, how to cut and prepare them for ‘the smoke’ and then just how to cook them is a tasty process that should be a requisite ‘First Step’ for any new BBQ enthusiast and isn’t a bad ‘review’ subject for any of us who have been doing it for a while!

We’ll be teaching an upcoming series on the proper selection of equipment, meats and other BBQ ‘Stuff’ as well as the preparation and presentation of all four KCBS meats this Winter at YorKitchen in the York Central Market…look for upcoming details soon…you’ll be the first to know!

Until then, you can visit us online (GreatQ4U.com) or give us a call at 717-254-1937 to schedule your 2012 Event or to see what kind of BBQ Class we can do for you!

That said…I often get the question; ‘Which BBQ Pit should I buy?’ and it’s a tough one to answer without an interrogation to determine what kind of cooking and commitment that the ‘askee’ is looking to do!  There are more options out there than ever and every style has its own Pros and Cons and just about EVERY ‘BBQ person’ I know has more than one kind of smoker…including ME!

We cook on pellets for a NUMBER of reasons…my former NUMBER ONE reason for using Traeger’s was that they WERE ‘Made in the USA’…alas…I guess increased distribution begets more units begets increased production capacity begets paying for BOAT FUEL to get stuff here from CHINA…but I digress!!! – We cook on Traeger’s because I LOVE them!  Contrary to those who talk bad about pellets…they are NOT all ‘Set-it and Forget-it’ units…but temperature control is a GREAT reason to consider pellet smokers!  Another great reason is consistency!  NO two trees will produce the same smoke, but when you aggregate thousands of trees into a consistent mix and then compress it into pellets…4 scoops of Hickory and 1 scoop of Apple will produce an amazingly consistent smoke!  There are MANY more reasons including ease of use and nearly effortless lighting & maintenance…relatively low ‘Carbon Footprint’ (Efficient)…yata, yata, yata…if you’d like to know more…call or e-mail me…I can go on and on about Pellets!!!

Another option would be a Ceramic or ‘Kamodo’ style Grill like the Primo or Big Green Egg units!  I have no experience cooking on this type of cooker, but PLENTY of experience tasting “Q” that’s been cooked on them…moist, flavorful and perfectly cooked in the right hands!  I would suggest looking into either of these manufacturers for a great product…the Primo Units are 100% Made in the USA! (Noticing a trend here?)

‘Cold Smokers’ such as the ubiquitous ’Little Chief’ and its cousin the ‘Big Chief’ that maintain a ‘pretty stable’ temperature of about 160 degrees are great for smoking Fish, Game, Jerky and Cheeses.  These units are readily available…affordable and produce REALLY TASTY results with very little practice!  Not good for doing whole cuts of meat as they don’t produce enough heat.

Of course the ‘Big Boys’ in the Smoker category are the ‘Stick Burners’ or log fire smokers!  Some of which are built in quantity not far from us in Lancaster County at Meadow Creek Smokers!  Others come from more ‘exotic’ destinations such as Missouri, Illinois and TEXAS!!!  These are the ‘true to form’ REAL DEAL and they can be incredibly effective, but may not be the best choice for beginners!  OR…maybe they are, but expect a sharp learning curve and don’t forget the meats!!!

No matter what your choice….it’s a GREAT time of the year to perfect your BBQ ‘Technique’ so you’re ready to impress and feed the masses in the Spring and Summer months that we’ll continue to think about so we can make it through the winter!!!  Tell us your thoughts or ask questions…we’d LOVE a dialogue on this topic AND look for an upcoming BBQ Series at YorKitchen at the Central Market in York, PA with ‘Equipment’ leading off the eight class series!

…obviously I’ve had time to form a somewhat ‘bitter’ rind, BUT I have also (FINALLY) had a bit of time to think back over what has been an INCREDIBLE year by ANY measure!  I have had the great pleasure of seeing the best in people on MANY occasions and most of these included BBQ!!!

First, there was Sheriff Franklin’s Command Center in Morgan County Alabama…Ronnie Harwell, Bobby Lewis….ALL the Deputies, Trustees and Community members who made it happen for the residents!  My humility at the support that I received from KCBS, Rocket City Meats, Pat and EVERYONE at the BBQ Shop in Scottsboro, AL and more!  I had a MILLION reasons not to go and through my perseverance, I saw the best that there is to see in my fellow man and woman!  I learned about ‘faith’ and how it works…I saw it over and over again!

Next, to ‘Pay Forward’ the generosity that I was shown by Ron Harwell in Alabama, I was privileged to be a VERY small part of what started out as a ‘bunch of BBQ people’ cooking in a parking lot in Joplin for whoever needed it and turned into a still evolving Operation BBQ Relief (www.OperationBBQRelief.org)!  These folks provided 125,000 FREE Slow Smoked BBQ Meals for the residents and rescuers in Joplin in 5 days!!!  INCREDIBLE and what a sight to see!  It’s a cause WORTHY of your support!

Then as Vermont and New Jersey got hit with unthinkable flooding, I was in the middle of putting together plans to go cook BBQ in each of those states when our own got a ‘double whammy’ with hurricane Irene and the ‘remnants’ of Tropical Storm Lee!  Flooding exceeded record levels and caused unimaginable damage across nearly ALL of Central PA…North to South…it was tough to believe and an obvious need!  SO…as ‘Operation BBQ Relief Central PA’, we brought together 3 cookers who had never met before in a Sam’s Club Parking Lot…got TONS of support from Swatara Township, PA and the Chief & Members of the Rutherford Fire Department (Dauphin County Station 45) and MANY Old (some NEW) friends and fed nearly 5,000 victims and volunteers meals over 3 days!

My iPhone Photo Roll has a truly unbelievable collections of images that I occasionally share with close friends, but only when I have time to provide the appropriate context!  I have SEEN human suffering at its worst this year and it leaves a mark!  I have also, once again seen people rising up in amazing ways to help their neighbors!  I have PROOF that there are many who still CARE and that there are those who truly appreciate it!  I have seen the power of ONE BBQ Meal to bring a smile to the face of someone who’s lost everything and to provide a temporary distraction at a time of need!  I have many people to thank and much to be humble about…I am truly Thankful for everything and everyone who has been a part of this amazing year in my life and Thankful for the lessons that they’ve taught me!

If I don’t get the chance to say so again before Thursday…I wish you a reflective, healthy and happy Thanksgiving!

That’s just the ‘BBQ Highlights’ from my ‘mental media roll’ this past year with LOTS of marketing and sales data mixed together in a bowl of great memories from plenty of great customers and their events in 2011!  Now I sit, sore shoulder and all and face an early end to the 2011 BBQ Season…funny how things go!

I look forward to 2012 for a number of reasons…many of which directly involve BBQ!  I hope to participate in a few Competitions and would welcome ‘cooking resumes’ from any perspective ‘Competition BBQ Team’ members!  I hope to continue to build on the efforts that we started in Alabama this year and have continued since…we’ve served thousands of free meals following disasters and I am TRULY humbled by the power of one, unsolicited meal during a time of need!  We’ll be growing our Catering and Personal Chef Businesses and you’ll see plenty of us throughout 2012!

SO, I continue to work on the new menu and some ‘Package Pricing’ for deals on certain ‘Group Size’ packages and hope to have that together in coming weeks!  We are putting together a class on Competition BBQ to be held at YorKitchen in York, PA this Winter and have much more going on!  Stay Tuned!!!

What a GREAT resource that Market IS!!!  It’s beautiful inside and PACKED with merchants that offer everything from fresh meats and produce to VERY tasty Fish Sandwiches and even an ‘Indoor’ Burrito Truck…COOL!  It’s got nice new Restrooms and is easy to get into and out of and you can EVEN Park for FREE on Saturdays in the Parking Garage across the street from the Food Court Entrance!

Demo went charmingly…did a 50/50 Ketchup to Vinegar ratio sauce…which is about as ‘sweet’ as it gets for me and did a few spice ‘drops’ that included our Own BBQ Rub, Granulated Garlic, Bourbon Barrel Food’s Smoked Raw Sugar and Pure Sorghum Syrup, Orange Blossom Honey and NO Brown Sugar!  Came out GREAT!!! (A bit tangy for the crowd methinks, but I liked it!!!)

Also attempted an ‘Alabama White BBQ Sauce’ using some Garlic, Datil Pepper Minorcan Mayo that came from a Market Vendor (Saucy Katie’s) and Vinegar…it didn’t come out all too well…but folks were ‘nice’ with their comments about it!  (I’ll figure it out eventually!)

Did a ‘Rib Rub’ and a ‘Desert Rub’ from the Southwest using fresh spices from ‘Spices Inc’ (www.spicesinc.com) and handed out LOTS of samples to folks in and around the Market!  One vendor was daring enough to toss our sauce onto their kitchen line before we left!  Hope that their customers enjoyed it!

Still LOTS going on, including the plans for a ‘So You Want To Compete in BBQ’ class to be offered this Winter at the YorKitchen project in York!  You’ll be among the first to know specifics, but we’ll be covering everything from Equipment Selection, Woods and Charcoals, Meat Selection and Preparation for all KCBS Meats and Dressin’ up Turn In Boxes!  We’ll even toss in some extra fun for free!!!  Blog and FB Fans will get a discounted price!!!  That’s all for now…have a great week!